BubbleStream

Gary F Jones

A Jerk, a Jihad, and a Virus: a novel

Synopsis

Veterinary virologist Jason Mitchell can’t keep his mouth shut, can’t lie convincingly, and can’t follow orders. He’s an unlikely candidate to help the CIA locate and destroy a deadly hybrid virus stolen from Jason’s lab at the University of Minnesota. From Washington to Djibouti, From Minneapolis to Yemen, Marines cringe, Senators turn livid, and CIA agents shudder as Jason struggles to prevent the virus from becoming a biological weapon in the hands of jihadists.
Jason and Ann Hartman, veterinarians, lovers, and graduate students, conduct a study of BCV in calves, a common virus that causes diarrhea in cattle. A recently arrived Chinese student accidentally exposes the calves to the SARS virus, a close relative of BCV. The calves and the Chinese student develop a severe and puzzling pneumonia. The Center for Disease Control isolates a hybrid BCV-SARS virus from the Chinese student and the calves. The FBI is notified of the new and dangerous virus.
Ahmed, more con man than graduate student, discovers samples of Jason’s that contain the virus. He steals them and flees to Yemen where he pretends to be a devout Muslim to get funding from a jihadist group. The jihadists believe the virus will be valuable as a biological weapon and as bait to lure the CIA into military action that will kill innocent civilians and increase hatred of the US. Jason and an unconventional CIA agent redefine “thinking outside the box” as they con Ahmed, dodge bullets, and thwart the jihadists.

Author Biography

Gary Jones says his life has been a testament to bad judgement and wishful thinking. However, his wife of many years says she knows of nothing in the record to justify such unfettered optimism.
Gary is a member of the last generation of rural veterinarians who remembers working with cows that had names and personalities and dairymen who worked in the barn with their families. He’s also part of the first wave of Baby Boomers, crusty codgers who are writing their wills and grousing about kids who can be damned condescending at times.
He practiced bovine medicine in rural Wisconsin for nineteen years, returned to graduate school at the University of Minnesota, earned a PhD in microbiology, and spent the next nineteen years working on the development of bovine and swine vaccines.
His first novel, Doc’s Codicil, will be released by BQB Publishing in October of 2015. This mystery, told with gentle humor, tells the story of a veterinarian who teaches his heirs a lesson from the grave.
Gary and his wife reside in Omaha, Nebraska.

Author Insight

Infection

Veterinarian and virology graduate student Jason and Joe, a recently arrived Chinese graduate student, spent the evening feeding and examining calves on a coronavirus study. Joe isn't feeling well and the next morning can't be roused.

Book Excerpt

A Jerk, a Jihad, and a Virus: a novel

Breathing hard from his run, Jason asked, “Were you able to reach Joe?”

Paul, his head bent over his desk revealing his thinning gray hair, was holding a phone to his ear. He looked up and covered the mouthpiece with his hand. “I have him on the phone now. He’s coughing and sounds delirious—babbling in Mandarin or Cantonese.” “I’m teaching the lab this morning and I’m already late. I’ll check in with you after class.”

Paul hung up and immediately called the University Hospital. “This is Professor Paul Schmidt on the St. Paul campus. A graduate student from Hong Kong is sick. He was coughing and his breathing sounded labored when I talked to him on the phone just now. He seemed to be delirious. Can I have an ambulance pick him up at his apartment?”

“Hong Kong! This kid is from Hong Kong?”

“Yes. He’s a recent arrival.”

There was a prolonged pause before Paul was given an answer. “I’ll transfer you to an infectious disease specialist.”

Waiting on hold, Paul tried to remember how often Jason and other students had been exposed to Joe. Few were aware of it, but a tourist from Hong Kong had introduced SARS to Canada last year. There’d been a twenty-percent case mortality rate. Paul searched for a bottle of antacids he kept in a desk drawer.

“This is Dr. Hatfield. You have a graduate student from Hong Kong with respiratory signs?” a man asked.

“Yes, and he had diarrhea last night. He flew in from Hong Kong five days ago. I thought—”

“Five days? From Hong Kong?”

“Yes. I—”

“Holy shit! What imbecile cleared his visa?”

“I thought I’d better give you a heads-up on this before you send an ambulance.”

“Thanks. I appreciate the warning.”

Paul heard muffled orders barked. He gave the doctor Joe’s address and told him he would meet him there.

“We’ll bring an extra hazmat suit for you. Don’t even think of getting near him until my people arrive,” the doctor responded.